HER HANDS

HER HANDS

her hands. now clinging to a cross. her body now clinging to life. her life now clinging to her soul. and us children still clinging to her.

We know that God's timing is perfect and we have placed her in His hands.  

HER hands... were always folded in prayer any time we needed an intercessor. ...turned the pages of her Bible as she sought to be all that she could be for her Savior...  her hands... were busy taking care of her sisters who needed help when they were bedridden and sick. ...were busy at her church's food pantry helping get food to those who were hungry...  her hands were raised in praise to her God in every worship service that she could attend.

HER hands. ...once made cinnamon rolls that could have been sold right beside the ones at the state fair. ...once gathered vegetables and roses from her beautiful gardens. her hands ...once canned and preserved her garden's bounty that she would later use to prepare meals for all the family that she could gather around her table.

HER hands... did not spare the rod that spoiled the child (actually the rod was a "switch/branch" from a tree - we had to go and pick our own - and if we didn't pick one large enough, she would go and get a really big one!)  her hands ...would later hold us in a precious hug that let us know that it was "for our own good" and we were loved.  (We knew that we deserved every switching we got.)

HER hands ...once did needlepoint pictures that could hang in a gallery. ...once sewed aprons and dresses and crafts - even if it meant doing so on an old Singer trundle machine.

HER hands ...would tuck us in at night and make us feel safe and secure under a hand-made quilt. her hands ...would rub our fevered brows, and I declare our fever dropped a few degrees just from her touch. her hands ...would fix our soup and even feed us if need be to nurse us back to health.

Those hands are so weathered now, and are so weak and frail.  Her hands share a story of love and affection that only her children can tell.  

NOTE:  My mother is 91 years old and in a nursing home under hospice care.  Seems as though her life is close to the end now and I wanted to blog a tribute to her - Tommie Grace Marshall Fields.